Decorative plate display device

ABSTRACT

A device for supporting a plate such as a flatware dinner plate in an attitude suitable for display includes a frame having a central opening defining an interior frame edge and at least two hooks adjustably connected at the back side of the frame and extending through the opening to a position adjacent the front surface of the frame to securely cradle the plate.

United States Patent Buescher DECORATIVE PLATE DISPLAY DEVICE [75] Inventor: Theodore H. Buescher, La Grange Park, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Kraftco Corporation, New York,

[22] Filed: Nov. 3, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 195,214

[52] U.S. Cl. 248/488 [51] Int. Cl A47g 1/24 [58] Field of Search 248/27, 442, 450,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,943,536

7/1960 Stafford 248/488 X 3,184,906 5/1965 Congalton... 248/488 X 928,132 7/1909 Kaufman 248/490 [1111 3,740,016 June 19, 1973 1,209,582 12/1916 Hoerneget 248/490 X 2,281,054 4/1942 Smith et al 40/156 605,821 6/1898 Herskovitz 40/156 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 626,601 7/1949 Great Britain: 248/488 Primary Examiner-William H. Schultz Attorney-Fitch, Even, Tabin & Luedeka [57] ABSTRACT A device for supporting a plate such as a flatware dinner plate in an attitude suitable for display includes a frame having a central opening defining an interior frame edge and at least two hooks adjustably connected at the back side of the frame and extending through the opening to a position adjacent the front surface of the frame to securely cradle the plate.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures DECORATIVE PLATE DISPLAY DEVICE The present invention relates to devices for supporting plates, such as flatware dinner plates, in an attitude suitable for display. More particularly, the invention is directed to a device for securely clamping such a plate to a supporting frame adapted to be hung on a wall.

It is frequently desirable to display decorative dinner plates in households or the like. One common method of displaying a plate is to place it in a vertical attitude within a china cabinet, but such plates may also be mounted in a rack positioned on a desk or mounted on a wall. Frequently, the plates are not securely fastened to such a rack and may fall and be broken if accidently jarred. correspondingly, the plate itself is offered no protection by the rack in the event the rack and plate are both dropped or jarred.

Furthermore, conventional means of display offer no aesthetic compliment to the plate displayed and it has been common, when a more attractive means of display is desired, to position the plate between the glass and the backing of a custom-made picture frame. Although the picture frame will aesthetically compliment the plate, it must be manufactured to specification so that it will properly receive and secure a particular plate placed therein. As such, expensive means of manufacture must be employed to obtain a suitable frame for the display of a particular plate.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved means for displaying a plate such as a dinner plate.

This and other objects of the invention are more particularly set forth in the following detailed descriptions and in the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying features of the present invention depicted with a plate mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the device of FIG. 1 showing the reverse of the side seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one element of the device shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood that this is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a plate 11 supported by a mounting device 13. The illustrated plate is a flatware or dinner plate, but other decorative plates could be mounted on the device 13, if desired. The illustrated plate includes a circular central portion 15 encircled by an annular rim 17 of curved cross sectional configuration and terminating in a peripheral edge 19. The curved rim 17 provides the plate with a somewhat dished face 21,hereinafter referred to as the forward face of the plate, and it is this face which is decorated, as with a painted or embossed indicia. The opposite or rearward surface 23 of the plate is provided with an annular rearwardly projecting bead 25.which would normally serve as the base for the plate in the event that it is utilized for dining purposes.

The device 13 includes a frame 27 which may be of various shapes or configurations but, in the illustrated embodiment, is provided with a circular central opening 29 and a hexagonal outer edge whose circumference extends radially outward from theperipheral edge of the plate. That surface 31 of the frame which is adjacent the plate 1 l, hereinafter referred to as the forward surface, is dished to accommodate the plate, while the opposite or rearward surface 33 is flat. A bracket 35 defining notches 37 is mounted on the rearward surface of the frame to facilitate hanging of the frame on a wall or the like, but other forms of hanging bracket, or means for supporting the frame in an upright position on a horizontal surface, could also be provided.

The plate 11 is mounted on the frame 27 by means of books 39 which engage the plate at circumferentially spaced locations. In the illustrated embodiment, three hooks are provided and are spaced apart, but'two hooks or more than three could also be utilized. The hooks serve to positively clamp the plate to the frame. Yet, because of the resilient nature of the hooks and the manner in which they are secured to the plate and frame, as will hereinafter be described, the plate is capable of some limited movement relative to the frame. Thus, in the event that the frame is dropped, the plate is capable of absorbing more of the shock than would be the case if the plate were rigidly clamped to the frame. However, the plate is held securely enough to the frame to prevent its accidental disengagement therefrom.

More specifically,.each of the hooks 39 (FIG. 4) is formed of a strip of resilient material such as a metal, the strip being reversed upon itself to provide it with a Ushaped configuration which includes a first portion or leg 41 and a secondportion or leg 43 connected at a common end by a web or bight 45. The leg 41 is bent adjacent its free end to define a cradle 47 which receives a peripheral edge portion of the plate 1 l. The leg 43 is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 49 which receives a screw 51 by means of which the hook is secured to the frame.

Each of the hooks is mounted to the frame in a manner best seen in FIG. 3. There it will be noted that the major portion of the leg 43 of the hook is held flat against the rearward surface 33 of the frame by the screw 51. The leg 41 of each hook, on the other hand, is disposed adjacent the forward surface of the frame 31 with an edge portion of the plate disposedin the cradle 47 of the hook. Thus, the hook extends through the central opening'29 of the frame. Each hook is secured to the frame with the longitudinal axis of the strip in a radial alignment with the center of the frame and in such a position relative to the other hooks that the plate 11 is clamped between the hooks. More specifically, the slot 49 of each leg 43 permits each hook to be moved relative to the frame until it is in a position in which the plate is securely clamped by all three hooks. The screws 51 are tightened to hold the hooks in the most desirable position relative to the frame and plate It will also be noted that with the hooks so disposed, the leg 43 is flexed immediately adjacent the bight 45 so that the leg 41 is actually biased in the direction of the leg-43 and the cradle47will thus exert a force on the peripheral portion of the plate tending to pull it in the directionof the frameQThis force is encountered by the engagement of the bead 25' with the leg immediately adjacent the bight 45. Thus, the plate is at no point in engagement with the frame 27 but instead is engaged solely by the legs 41 of the hooks, which legs are resiliently connected to the frame by means of the legs43. Since the leg 41 is capable of yielding in response to force applied to it, the plate is also capable of limited yielding movement relative to the frame but yet is securely held to the frame by the hooks.

A device has thus been shown and described which securely holds a plate in a manner which displays the plate most advantageously and provides maximum protection for it.

While one specific structural embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it should be apparent that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

Various of the features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for supporting a plate in an attitude suitable for display, said device comprising a rigid frame, at least two hooks, each defining a cradle adapted to receive a peripheral edge portion of the plate, said hooks being mounted on said frame for movement relative thereto and to each other so as to engage the peripheral edge portion of the plate at circumferentially spaced locations, each hook including a first portion adapted to bear against a portion of that surface of the plate adjacent said frame when the plate is clamped within said cradles and a second portion provided with a longitudinally extending slot and adapted to be fixed to said frame, said hooks being formed from an elongated strip reversed upon itself to provide said first and second portions interconnected at a common end and said cradle portion being located adjacent the free end of said first portion, and means for selectively locking the second portion of each of said hooks to an adjustably fixed position relative to said frame and to said other hook, said frame being provided with a front surface adjacent the plate, a back surface, opposite said front surface, and a centrally positioned opening defining an interior frame edge, and said locking means securing said second portion of each of said hooks against said back surface of said frame with said first portion extending through said opening transversely of said in terior frame edge to a position adjacent said front surface.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a portion of said strip provides a resilient connection between said first portion and said second portionv 3. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein each of said hooks is formed to provide generally parallel first and second portions which are resiliently urged apart to place the peripheral edge of a plate in said cradle and secure said second portion to said back surface but which are biased toward their generally parallel po- 7 strip is formed of a resilient material. 

1. A device for supporting a plate in an attitude suitable for display, said device comprising a rigid frame, at least two hooks, each defining a cradle adapted to receive a peripheral edge portion of the plate, said hooks being mounted on said frame for movement relative thereto and to each other so as to engage the peripheral edge portion of the plate at circumferentially spaced locations, each hook including a first portion adapted to bear against a portion of that surface of the plate adjacent said frame when the plate is clamped within said cradles and a second portion provided with a longitudinally extending slot and adapted to be fixed to said frame, said hooks being formed from an elongated strip reversed upon itself to provide said first and second portions interconnected at a common end and said cradle portion being located adjacent the free end of said first portion, and means for selectively locking the second portion of each of said hooks to an adjustably fixed position relative to said frame and to said other hook, said frame being provided with a front surface adjacent the plate, a back surface, opposite said front surface, and a centrally positioned opening defining an interior frame edge, and said locking means securing said second portion of each of said hooks against said back surface of said frame with said first portion extending through said opening transversely of said interior frame edge to a position adjacent said front surface.
 2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein a portion of said strip provides a resilient connection between said first portion and said second portion.
 3. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein each of said hooks is formed to provide generally parallel first and second portions which are resiliently urged apart to place the peripheral edge of a plate in said cradle and secure said second portion to said back surface but which are biased toward their generally parallel positions.
 4. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein said strip is formed of a resilient material. 